​6 Signs You’re Going to Regret That New Tattoo

“I got this tattoo on my right bicep that I thought would be kind of simple and abstract but actually looks like an army tattoo, because it looks like sergeant stripes,” he says. “I've never been in the military, so it came off as random or even poser-ish, and I quickly got tired of trying to explain it.”

Harris isn’t alone. Roughly half of all men who get tattoos end up regretting them, according to a new tattoo survey from Casino.org.

Harris says that, by the time he hit his late 20s, he was fed up with his tattoo. He looked into the costs of removal, and also considered having his whole arm inked in order to conceal his mistake.

“I love tattoos,” he says. “I just didn't like this one.”

He eventually changed his mind when his husband confessed that he’d always liked the tattoo. But as those survey results suggests, a lot of guys aren’t so lucky.

Considering a new piece of body art yourself? Keep reading to learn about the kinds of tattoos men are most likely to regret.

It’s On Your Bicep

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The most common location of an unwanted tat—by a wide margin—is on a dude’s bicep. Among men who regret their tattoos, 24 percent cited their bicep as the ink’s location. Calves and shoulders came in second and third with roughly 12 percent apiece.

It’s Something Tribal

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Tribal tats are trouble. Among men who regret their tattoos, 21 percent said their ink included a tribal design. Tattoos of someone’s name are the second-most regretted type, while a face, a figure, or a Chinese character round out the list of most-lamented tattoos.

You’re Between the Ages of 18 and 21

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Roughly 37 percent of people who regret their tattoos got their unwanted ink between those ages. Another 20 percent were aged 22 to 25.

But once you hit 26, the likelihood of regretting your tattoo falls into the single digits. If you can hold off until age 26—or ideally, 36—you’re a lot less likely to hate your tat.

You Got It on a Whim

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It’s no surprise that, the longer you’ve been considering a tattoo, the less likely you are to bemoan it after the fact. Nearly 30 percent of regretted tattoos are spur-of-the-moment decisions. The longer a man waits—a few days at least, but ideally a few years—the less likely he is to regret his choice.

Your Tattoo Idea Is “Just Something You Like”

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People who get tattoos associated with a family member or pet are the least likely to regret their choice. On the other hand, nearly half of those who regret their tattoos describe them as “just something I liked.”

You Live in Nevada, Illinois, or Arizona

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Residents of those states are the most likely to have unwanted tattoos. If you’re in Alabama, Connecticut, Rhode Island, or West Virginia, you should also give your prospective tattoo a little more thought.

On the flip side, Montana, North Dakota, West Virginia, and New Hampshire are states in which few people seem to regret their tattoos.

One More Factor to Consider

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Even if you’re happy with the design, location, and look of your tattoo, you may eventually regret it for health reasons.

A 2015 case study turned up malignant skin cancer cells in the red portion of a man’s tattoo. The study authors say the man likely had skin cancer before getting his tat, and the tattoo needle may have poked the cancer and then “re-seeded” its cells. The kind of low-grade inflammation caused by tattoo inks could also raise a man’s risk for skin cancers, the study authors say.

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Ink-related skin infections are also an underreported issue, per a study in the New England Journal of Medicine. Because tattoo inks are largely unregulated, a bad batch can lead to widespread infections—even if a tattoo parlor is doing everything right.

None of this means you shouldn’t get tatted up. For a lot of men, tattoos are points of pride and meaningful expressions of heritage, culture, or individuality.

But as the popularity of tattoos has exploded, especially among Millennials, a lot of dudes are ending up with poorly considered body art that costs a small fortune to remove—a thousand dollars (and up) for even a small tattoo.

Think before you ink.

Markham HeidMarkham Heid is an experienced health reporter and writer, has contributed to outlets like TIME, Men’s Health, and Everyday Health, and has received reporting awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Maryland, Delaware, and D.C.

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